


Chat as Chat Can

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Love Square Week 2016 [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, complete reveal, partial reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-07 13:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8801986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: When Ladybug ends up in the Seine during an akuma battle in sleet storm Chat has to take the lead and deal with her hypothermia.  Chronologically follows “Portrait of the Chat as a Dielectric.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Love Square Week prompts  
> Chapter 1 = kisses  
> Chapter 2 = reveal/post reveal

Another day, another akuma battle. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't happened at dusk in the middle of a sleet storm. Ladybug was never at her best when she was soggy and freezing.

"Incoming!" Chat's shout was faint, partially swallowed by the wind and the tappity tap of partially frozen rain beating down on the city.

She looked up, trying to spot the danger, but her reactions were just too slow. Instead of grabbing at her, the akuma swung at her with it's overlarge mop, sending her flying toward the Seine. Oh god. Not the Seine. Not again. She had so few options for her yo-yo to catch by the river, and sure enough, there was nothing quite in range.

She'd hoped the river would feel warmer than the air had, sometimes she was lucky that way. She hit the water with a splash, then things went quiet as she submerged, with only the bubbling of the water to keep her company. Even with the suit, she felt like she was being stabbed by thousands of tiny needles. She kicked toward the surface.

"Holyfuckthisiscold!" she shrieked, the moment her head got above the water. 

There was another big splash, and a long arm suddenly snaked around her waist. "Hold on milady," Chat said, his mouth right next to her ear. "I've got you."

"I am going to fucking waterboard Hawkmoth when we catch him!" she roared, vaguely realizing she was letting her frustration get the better of her. She hated being cold!

"Yes, love. It's a good plan," he agreed, tugging her backward with him toward the levee. "But for now, let's get you out of the Seine."

"I th-thought c-cats hated w-water." Dammit. Now she was shivering so hard she could barely talk straight.

"That's a myth," he assured her. He'd proven more than once that he was the better swimmer, especially if the temperature was low. "When this is over I'll show you some nice videos of lions and tigers enjoying the water. Some are quite adept swimmers."

"S-so y-you're m-more l-l-lion than cat?" Her fingers were too numb to be much help when they got to the levee, and he pushed her up onto the sidewalk. 

"By mass and destructive capability, yes," he agreed. How was he not stammering from the cold?

She felt like she should have been able to throw a joke at him right then, but the words weren't coming.

He tilted her chin to stare into her eyes. "You're feeling stupid, aren't you?"

She nodded. It was their danger sign for Ladybug hypothermia, and she couldn't bring herself to care. On some level, she realized that was also bad.

"Fuck," he muttered, scooping her up and launching them in the direction of the akuma. Once they were within range, he parked her in a sheltered corner. "'Kay, you stay right here. I'll bring you the akuma."

"Yeah." She agreed, wrapping her arms around herself as she curled into a tight ball. Her teeth were chattering so hard, she was afraid she might bite off the tip of her tongue. She must have dozed, because the next thing she was aware of was Chat shaking her, an edge of panic in his voice.

"My Lady? I need you to wake up."

"Nnngh." Was all she was capable of.

"Excellent." She felt his claws prying her yo-yo out of her hands. He drew her finger down the disk to open it up. She heard a crunch followed by. "Gotchya." The yo-yo was pushed back into her hands. "I'm going to help you launch it, but you need to call on your cleansing magic. It won't answer to me. Can you do that?"

She nodded.

"What are the words?"

"M-m-mmmm."

"Don't think that's going to cut it, Bug." He cupped her cheeks and exhaled heavily in her face.

"Mmmm." She leaned toward him. "W-warm."

"I'm going to try something, and I hope you won't hate me later." He gathered her close to his chest, his face pressed to her neck, so he could breathe on the sliver of skin at the top of her suit. His hands briskly rubbed at her back. 

"Thasss nice."

"I'll snuggle you all you want once you do your job milady," he promised. "Can you do it?"

She held out her yo-yo.

"On three," he suggested, resting his hand under hers. "One. Two. Three." He pushed up on her hand.

"Mmiraculous Llady...bug," she called out weakly.

"Good job," Chat said, sounding proud of her. "Now we need to get you warmed up." He stood, cradling her in his arms.

She stretched a little to burrow her face into his neck. "My k-kitty's warrrrm." She heard the distinctive sound of his baton extending.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked, probably to himself, but she heard.

"Take me home."

He froze. "What?"

"Take me h-home and c-cuddle m-me." There was a moment of silence. "You promised."

"You want to go to my house?" he asked, sounding like he wanted firm evidence that he'd given her the opportunity to correct the misunderstanding.

She shook her head, her cold lips rubbing against his skin. "No."

Even in her hibernation fugue, she could feel his disappointment.

"Your house is awful." He'd made that clear. "G-go toward that b-bakery you like."

"I can do that." 

"Good Kitty." She clung to him and ignored everything else, confident that he had this. She was aware when he slowed to a stop. She raised her head to see they were on the roof across from her balcony.

He looked down into her eyes. "Where now?"

"Can I kiss you?" she asked, her fingertips brushing his jaw.

His eyes went wide. "What?"

Their dynamic was about to change forever, and while she was sure it would be for the better, she was still a little worried, and the hypothermia hadn't crushed that completely. "Before I show you who I am. I want to kiss you. Just once."

"Am I going to be allowed to kiss you after the reveal, too?" His voice was lower than usual.

"Only if you really want to." Her fingers slipped into his sodden hair. "You may not feel the same once you know…" His lips, so warm and soft cut her off. It was gentle, little more than a press.

"I know who you are here." He tapped her forehead. "And here." He tapped the center of her chest. "I don't think your name or civilian identity can change the way I feel. Or the fact that we've been kind of low key dating for months."

She giggled, and pulled him down for another kiss, a little firmer and somewhat reminiscent of the kiss he didn't remember during Dark Cupid. After she'd pulled away, but before he could open his eyes, she whispered, "Spots off."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Square Week - final prompt: reveal/post reveal

Ladybug's transformation vanished in a wave of red light. "Surprise," she said quietly, trying to burrow closer to him, now that she no longer had the protection of the suit.

"Not really," he murmured in her ear. "It's really more of an ah-ha or oh yeah." His arms tightened around her as he made the final leap. She felt herself tilted at an odd angle as he reached down to open her skylight, then she was lowered to her bed, and she heard the distinctive click of the window latching.

"You knew?" She turned her head to look at him, unable to summon the energy to sit up.

He shook his head. "Suspected, but didn't know." He descended her ladder, then reached for her. "I couldn't help but notice that Princess and My Lady smell the same. But I wasn't going to try to confirm it when you didn't want me to know." He carried her into her bathroom, settling her on the counter top. "I'd rather take some time with this, but I'm kind of terrified by how cold you actually are. You've stopped shivering, and it's not because you've warmed up, which is a dangerous place to be. If you aren't ready to see me, close your eyes."

She made a point of meeting his gaze.

A crooked smile graced his face. "Claws in." Without looking away he addressed his kwami. "Plagg, can you see if Tikki's okay? Let me know if she needs anything." He shoved his sodden hair out of his face with a backward sweep of one hand. "You all right Princess?"

"I see you." She giggled, wrapping her fingers tighter into his shirt. She had a less supported suspicion about his identity, but now that Adrien was standing in front of her, she realized she wasn't surprised either. "This makes so much sense."

He eased her grip on him, kissing the back of each hand before he crouched down and slipped off her shoes. "I'm going to get you in the bath, then I'm going to go make you something hot to drink." He peeled off her soggy socks.

"Then we snuggle?" she suggested.

"Once the bath has done its job, yes." He straightened up and gently pushed her hair out of her eyes. "That's way up at the top of the agenda." He unbuttoned her jeans, hesitating as he took hold of the hem of her shirt. "It's better if we get most of your clothes off. Are you okay with me helping you?"

She raised her hands overhead. "Yeah. Too cold to care."

He helped her out of her shirt and pants. "You can take off the rest once your fingers are working again, okay?" He started the bath and lifted her in. "Let me know if it gets too hot."

"Ah!" She gasped as the lukewarm water rushed over her toes.

"I know." His soft voice was soothing. "It feels warmer than it is." He sluiced the water over her legs, gradually turning up the temperature when she stopped flinching away.

She was trembling again, now that her body's shut down was being reversed.

"Oh, my poor Bug." His hand cupped her cheek. "Think you can stay awake long enough for me to go make tea or cocoa?"

Her nod was jerky and stiff.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He leaned in and kissed her forehead again.

It was easy to manage a smile when she realized how free he was with his affections now. "Y-you n-need d-d-dry clothes, t-too," she forced out past her chattering teeth.

"I'm fine for now," he insisted. "Once I know you're okay, I'll figure something out. Okay."

She nodded again. It was easier than speaking. She watched intently as he stood up and left, quietly closing the door. Opening the drain a little, she turned the water on full hot, trying to bring up the temperature a little more. When she turned it off and slipped down to her ears in the bath, she could hear indistinct rumble of Adrien's voice from downstairs. Mama's reply was even harder to hear. That probably wasn't good. How was he going to explain coming down from her room, drenched, when her parents hadn't seen him arrive in the first place. If she wasn't so damn cold she'd be out of the bath, bolting for the stairs to help him.

Oh god. Now her father had joined the conversation. From what she could hear, her parents were tag-teaming, and her Kitty was responding with short replies. The laughter that carried through the floor and the tub was reassuring. She couldn't stand the suspense, but she knew she had to stay put, so she cycled the water again, increasing the temperature and blocking the discussion downstairs.

After what didn't seem nearly long enough to boil water, there was a tap at her bathroom door. "I'm back," Adrien called from the other side. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah." She'd forgotten she was supposed to take off her bra and underwear now that her hands were working.

He peeked in, his hair tousled more like Chat's, and a towel from her parents' bathroom over his shoulders. He smiled and slipped in to the steamy warm room. He was wearing dry clothes several sizes too large, and it was adorable. He had a mug in each hand, and held one out for her. "Your cocoa, milady." He made sure she had a grip on it before sitting next to the tub to sip his own.

She stared at him for a moment, then at the mug. "How… were you even gone long enough to make this?"

He shook his head, grinning. "Your mama made it."

Her mother had just happened to make hot cocoa? 

"Funny thing about that..." He reached out and grasped the top of the mug with his fingers. "Your parents know you're Ladybug."

"What?!" If he hadn't been holding her cocoa it would have definitely ended up in the bath with her.

"And by extension, they know I'm Chat Noir." He'd always been more relaxed about the identity thing, but he seemed far too pleased about this. "They've apparently known for while."

"How?" She'd been so careful.

"They said they'll come clean at dinner." He released his grip on her drink, brushing his fingertips against her cheek before recalling his hand. "They saw Chat fish Ladybug out of the Seine and knew you'd be a bugcicle." His grin turned into a smug smirk. "And they seemed quite content with me warming you up."

She felt her cheeks heat up. "They're going to be insufferable."

He shook his head. "They'll tease us, yes, but we can get through anything together." He leaned over to inspect her toes. "You're getting pruney. How about I get you something dry to put on, and while you're changing, I'll set up a blanket fort."

"Blanket fort?"

He held up on finger. "It's a great place to snuggle. Ambiance, you know." A second finger joined the first. "Like a tent, it will hold in the heat, so it'll be warmer than the rest of your room." He extended a third finger. "It'll give us a little privacy."

She reached out to loop her index finger around his ring finger. "What do we need privacy for?"

He tilted his chin down and let his eyelids droop a little. "Unless I'm mistaken, you promised me kisses." 

His smolder was at least twice as intense in person than it was in photo form, and it warmed her in a way the bath hadn't. "That's unfair," she whispered. "Hauling out your modeling expressions at a time like this."

He laughed and got to his feet. "I'll get you something to wear. Which drawers should I be looking in?"

"Top drawer for panties. Next one down for PJ’s." As he was about to close the door she added, "I am fully prepared to follow through on my promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this. Yesterday was full of family and holiday activities, and I didn't have any time to sit in front of my computer. I'm contemplating a side piece putting Adrien's conversation with Sabine and Tom on screen and another chapter for dinner with the family.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's discussion with Tom and Sabine while Marinette's in the bath.

Calling on his Chat Noir stealth, Adrien opened Marinette's bedroom door and started down the stairs. His damp bare feet made little noise, but it didn't matter; he wasn't destined to get through this next stage unseen.

"Aah, Adrien," a feminine voice called from the family room. 

He froze, a few steps from the bottom, and met the hazel eyes of Marinette's mother. He blinked a couple of times. Crap. He hadn't really planned out an excuse, and while he was generally good at coming up with rubbish on the fly, his mind was painfully blank.

"I thought I heard your voice." Smiling, she walked over and held a hand out to him. "I was hoping you'd come down."

"Hello Sabine." Oh god. Had she heard the bath running? What reason could he have for being in her daughter's room during that. "Mari's cold. I thought I'd get her some tea." His hand was unexpectedly enclosed in two warm small ones.

"Goodness, you're still soaked." She turned away. "Tom, can you get Adrien something to wear?"

"Yes dear," came the reply from another room.

Sabine tugged Adrien into the kitchen, warm and fragrant with chocolate. "When we saw Ladybug end up in the Seine, we knew Marinette would come back chilled." She shook her head. "Honestly the Seine again? It's such a relief knowing Chat Noir is such a strong swimmer."

"Uhm. What?" He wondered if he was hallucinating. Maybe the cold had gotten the best of him, too.

"He takes such good care of Ladybug," Sabine prattled on, ladling out two large mugs of steaming cocoa and placing them on a tray. "One look at his face, and you can see that's a young man who loves her."

Adrien reached back to rub at his neck. He was pretty sure he was getting a lot of subtext here, and it had completely blind-sided him. Ladybug hadn't told anyone who she was, he was sure of it. But her parents definitely knew. He may as well play along. "Yeah," he agreed shyly.

Sabine beamed at him and slipped a plate of cookies onto the tray. "Those are for the little Ladybug."

"Aah." She knew about Tikki? "So you… know about her?"

"Am I correct that there is a little Chat Noir, as well?" she asked.

This was too much. Actual sentences were just not going to happen right now. "Yeah."

"Does it eat cookies, or…" she hesitated, then her eyes opened wide. "Camembert. That's why she's been putting it on the shopping list, and it's been disappearing without a trace." She laughed. "That girl is so clever."

"Obviously not clever enough," he blurted, then covered his mouth with one hand to halt the laughter that wanted to follow. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stop if he got going.

"Not her fault we're cleverer," Tom said, walking in with a pile of folded fabric. "Good god boy, you're soaked. Let's get you changed before we continue this entertaining chat." He chuckled at his own pun, while Adrien just stared at him. "What? Thought you had the market cornered?"

Adrien shook his head, and took a deep breath to clear his mind. "I just want to be clear on something here."

"Clarity is good," Tom agreed.

"You know that Marinette is…" he left it hanging, hoping they would fill in the blank.

"Ladybug," Tom obliged. "Yup."

"And you're Chat Noir," Sabine added, slipping a plate of Camembert onto the tray.

"How?" His voice squeaked a little.

"We'll talk about it over dinner," Sabina said. "It would be best if Marinette hears that bit from us. Now go change." She nudged his shoulder. 

"Can't have Chat Noir getting sick," Tom said as he pushed the dry clothes into Adrien's hands. "Who'd look after our Maribug then?"

"Superheroes don't get sick days," Adrien said, shrugging.

Tom shook his head. "This way, my boy." He gestured with one huge hand. "You're going to need a towel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically this is a spin-off from the Love Square Week, but from an organizational and reading standpoint, it makes most sense to tack it on as a chapter. I think I may have two more to add at this point.
> 
> This was written as a speed-writing exercise, where I had 30 minutes to plot and write it. The only editing permitted was for typos or incomprehensible lines.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien taking care of Plagg and Maribug.

Adrien slid the tray onto Marinette's desk. "Hey, Plagg. How's Tikki doing?"

"Better, but still too chilled to function well." The kwami's voice came from up on the bed.

"I've got cookies and Camembert for you." He took a moment to reflect on how revolting that combination sounded. "Will that help?"

"Not yet, but soon."

Adrien peeked onto the bed to see the tiny black cat nuzzling his counterpart. "Are you purring?"

"The vibration warms her," Plagg insisted.

Adrien grinned. He'd never tease Plagg about doing what he needed to, to tend to his Little Lady. After all, he felt very much the same way about his Lady. "There's a heating vent down here. Would you like me to relocate your nest on top of it?"

Plagg paused and stared at his chosen for a moment. He seemed to be considering what the cost might be. "That would help," he reluctantly admitted.

Carefully tugging the blanket free, Adrien bundled the edges together and carried it to the heating vent. "Want a tent?" he asked.

"Yes."

"One kwami tent, coming right up." He was going to build one for Mari, too, after she got out of the bath. "Oh, and you don't need to worry about hiding or anything. Tom and Sabine apparently know everything."

Plagg snorted before sprawling on top of his partner. "Could you put our snacks in here?" he asked, as Adrien draped a large scrap of blue fleece over the books he'd set up as walls.

"Sure thing." He slipped both plates into the tiny tent. "Need anything else?"

"We're good. Thanks kid."

Adrien crossed back over to the desk and picked up both mugs of cocoa. "You're always there for me, Plagg. I can be there for you, too."

Talking to Mari about her parents went better than he'd expected. But she was probably still a little cold-stupid. There was still time for her to have a meltdown over it. As he rummaged in her top drawer, he found black cat panties, several pairs. Since he couldn't contain the Chatlike grin, he embraced it. Leaving her dry clothes on the counter, and trying not to think about the fact that her wet underwear were now on the floor, he went back to her room in search of blankets and pillows.

He'd just crawled inside the little fort when he heard the bathroom door open. "How are you doing?" he asked, poking his head out.

Her cheeks were pink, more reminiscent of a blush than heat. "Improved. Still cold, though." She pulled on a pair of thick socks before joining him in the tent.

He leaned back on the pillows and held his arms out to her. "Come cuddle. I'm happy to warm you up."

She giggled. "I'll bet you are."

"I'll have you know, I'm a gentleman. I definitely didn't mean it **that** way." He let out a sniff before continuing in a less affected tone. "I'm honestly a little freaked out about how cold you got, and I need the reassurance that you're okay, just as much as you need the warmth."

"Sorry about that." She draped herself half over him, her head resting on his shoulder. She let out a happy moan as she wrapped her arm and leg around him. "Ungh. You are so warm."

"It's the black cat's job to warm the ladybug," Plagg said, his voice carrying easily through both fabric barriers. "If you're cold, he'll make extra heat for you, even if you're halfway across the country."

"See," Adrien said, pulling the blankets over them. "We're made for each other." Her giggle made him smile. He eased one hand up through the covers to rest on her cheek. Her skin was still cool, but not icy cold anymore.

"This is nice," she whispered. "I like it."

"The fort?" he asked, not sure what she was referring to.

"Everything," she added. "The fort, the blankets, my hot, in every way you can mean it, boyfriend."

He felt his breath catch. "Did I get promoted?" he managed to ask.

She pressed her face into the skin of his neck. "You're the one who said we've been dating for months."

He laughed. "I guess I did. Sorry if that was presumptive."

"You weren't wrong," she admitted. "And… um, if you wanted to make it less low key, I'd be completely on board."

"Yes please," he said quickly. He pulled back just enough to be able to kiss her forehead. "I want that very much."

"By the power vested in me by the miraculous known as ladybug," she said, her voice serious, as she raised herself up on her elbow. "I pronounce you, Adrien holder of the black cat, my boyfriend."

Plagg cackled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this wasn’t the scene I was originally going to write next, but it popped up when I was doing a brainstorming exercise at my technical writing class last night, and I couldn’t let go.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drowsy wake up snuggles in a blanket fort.

He was warm and comfortable, and he didn't want to come out of the pleasant limbo between sleep and wakefulness. But someone was squeezing his left shoulder and saying his name.

"Adrien, wake up," she called quietly, as if she was hoping to be gentle about it.

"Nngh?" He blinked a couple times, vaguely disoriented by the pink and blue striped ceiling before he realized he was in a blanket fort, one he'd made, and the warm bundle sprawled entirely on top of him was Mari. He felt the stupid smile and didn't even try to fight it. Mari, his Lady, his girlfriend.

"Adrien?" His arm was squeezed again.

He tilted his head back and met Sabine's eyes. Part of him wanted to flinch and move Mari to a more appropriate snuggle position next to him, but he couldn't do anything that might disturb her. "Uhhh."

She beamed at him. "You don't need to look so uncomfortable."

"This doesn't bother you?" He pulled one hand out of the blankets to gesture at his state of entanglement with her daughter.

Sabine patted his cheek. "You're warming her up." She smirked then. "It's not like you have her pinned down while you ravish her."

His eyes went wide, and he felt the heat of a blush flood his face. If he opened his mouth, he knew an inarticulate squawk was all that would come out.

"Besides, you're both of age." She shrugged. "It's not really my place to say anything at this point."

"Oh my god," he muttered. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you."

"Of course not, dear. Tom and I are very fond of you." She patted his cheek again before ducking out of the fort. "Could you wake Marinette up? The soup's almost ready."

"Sure. And… thank you, Sabine. For everything." Though his Lady's parents clearly loved teasing him, they were so much more understanding and welcoming than he could have possibly hoped. After he heard the soft footsteps descending the stairs, he ran his fingers into Mari's hair. Tilting his head at an awkward angle, he was able to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Mari, it's time to wake up." His fingertips ran down her cheek, her skin soft and warm. "Your parents have made us some lovely soup."

"Nooooo," she mumbled, trying to burrow into his chest, which started to shake with laughter as her nose and chin dug in just enough to tickle him. "Mmmm. Stop moving," she grumbled.

"Then you… need to stop… trying to dig into my pectorals… with your face." He rolled them onto their sides. "You know how ticklish I am."

She raised her head and offered him a sleepy smile. "Yes, and I adore it."

He leaned in and caught her lips briefly, trying to force a subject change. He was all calm and soothed; he wasn't in the mood for a tickle fight. "Your mama came up to tell us dinner is nearly ready."

"Ah yes." She pushed herself up to sit. "Is this the dinner where we'll learn how they know our superhero identities?"

"Yeah. That one." He watched her closely, reaching out to gently sweep a lock of hair out of her eyes. "You going to freak out?"

She thought for a moment before sighing. "I don't think so. And I'll be the first to admit that's odd."

He sat up to brush his cheek to hers. "Everything will be okay. Remember, we can handle anything together, even when we're not suited up."

She hugged him. "You are so good to me."

"You more than return the favor." Going home after this was going to suck.

She leaned back to look him in the face again, something about her posture telling him she was nervous. "So there's something I've been meaning to bring up, to ask you, actually. And this seems as good a time as any."

"I'm all ears." He took one of her hands in both of his.

"And I want you to answer honestly. I promise I won't be offended or judge you for your decision." She raised his hands up for a kiss.

"Go for it," he suggested.

"As you know, as Adrien anyway, my need for design space has outgrown my room, and my parents' house. I'd also like to be closer to university."

He nodded, suspecting where she was going, but not wanting to assume and make a complete idiot of himself.

"You're so miserable living with your dad." She smiled for a moment. "You being Chat actually simplifies things a bit, because I was thinking of posing this question to both of you." Her giggle was a nice mix of giddy and nervous. "Would you want to share an apartment? I'm not saying we need to share a room or anything, I mean... I was thinking we'd have our own rooms. And I've found these great converted warehouse lofts that have a ton of workspace. They're really perfect for me." She was babbling and it was adorable. "I think it would be nice for you to be in a warmer environment, you know? A place where you can be yourself, that's home."

"You really want to live with me?" He didn't doubt her affections in the slightest, but this was a surprise. "I don't even know how to do dishes."

"You're highly trainable," she assured him.

"And you've been thinking about this for...how long?" It didn't sound like a spur of the moment new idea.  
She shrugged. "Three or four months." She reached out and pressed her palm to his cheek. "I know you enough to know how unhappy you are. I see it when you're Adrien and when you're Chat." She looked sad. "You have so many awful days, and my Cheer Up Chat kit isn't enough."

"Last question," he said, holding up one finger. "When do we move in?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm new to AO3 and how folks use ratings here, and I'm wondering if this still qualifies as G or if it needs to go up. I realize it's a judgement call, and I generally figure G is middle-grade content, with T being YA (including the more gritty and graphic 14 and up camp). I would let my 8 year old read this, but our family is not every family, and I'm not sure where most folks draw this line. So if you have input on that, I'd love to hear it.
> 
> Next chapter will be dinner. I just wanted to get this Sabine/Adrien interaction out, and the earlier references to apartments seemed like something worth adding.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The much awaited dinner scene with Tom and Sabine

Channeling her Ladybug confidence, Marinette led Adrien down from her room to the counter-top height kitchen table.

"Oh good, you're awake," her mother said, placing a covered crock on the table. "Just in time." She looked at their entwined hands and grinned. "Tom, you owe me a backrub," she cheerfully called over her shoulder.

Her bear of a father crossed the small kitchen to slide a bread board with an herbed boule onto the table. He made a point of gazing from their hands into Marinette and Adrien's faces. "Hand-holding isn't confirmation, dear. And that was **your** rule, if you recall."

Adrien's fingers tightened slightly, as if he'd known she needed a bit of reassurance. Her Kitty had always be intuitive about that sort of thing, though. "Confirmation of what?" he asked.

"Ugh." Marinette drew him over to two chairs side-by-side, leaving him the left handed spot so they wouldn't bump elbows. "So what does Baba get if he wins?" she asked, unprepared to see her father's face go completely red.

"Sorry sweetie," her mother said. "That's private."

"Oh god." She pulled her hand out of Adrien's to cover her face. "You realize you're just encouraging me to move out, right?"

"You were planning that anyway," her father said with a shrug, taking a seat across from her.

"Yes. How is that going?" Her mother's tone was overly eager, and when Marinette looked up, it was to her mother's eyes darting back and forth between herself and Adrien. Poor shell-shocked Adrien.

Marinette let out a snort. "You know, I thought that you'd behave better once I finally brought my boyfriend home, but nooooo."

Her mother let out a squeal, and despite having lost the bet, her father raised one fist into the air and shouted, "Yes!"

Turning to Adrien, Marinette muttered, "I am **so** sorry. We can go if you want. **You** can go if this is too much."

He chuckled and reached over to squeeze her shoulder. "I couldn't abandon my Lady to endure such torment on her own, now, could I?"

"Fine." She sighed. She tugged the bread closer and picked up the knife. After the combination of akuma and hypothermia, she was starving, and she wasn't going to hold off her dinner until her parents were done humiliating her. "So Adrien and I had a little talk purrlier." She grinned when she heard his breath catch at her phrasing. "Since we've been casually dating for a while, we decided we were ready for something more serious."

Sitting as upright as possible, her father beamed and flicked his fingers encouragingly at her. "Please, do go on."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I've found some really nice converted warehouse apartments closer to campus that we're going to go look at in the next few days." Her mom gawked at her, seemingly frozen in shock. Adrien reached to rub the back of his neck, apparently not expecting this announcement just now.

After a moment, her father's laughter broke the silence. "I won that one!" he crowed.

Marinette handed around the bread and reached for the soup pot. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of basil and tomatoes. "My Mama's white bean and vegetable soup is amazing," she told Adrien. "It's like a minestrone, without the pasta." She filled her own bowl before handing him the ladle. "I like to sprinkle a little Parmesan on top."

"Thanks." He filled his bowl, then moved the pot back to the center of the table. "It smells delicious, Sabine."

"So now that we've got your wagers out of the way, and honestly, I don't want to know about the others still pending," Marinette said, sounding more like Ladybug than usual. "I believe the two of you have something to disclose to us."

"I take it Adrien told you that we're aware of both your extracurricular activities?" her father asked, spreading a bit of butter over his bread.

"Yes." Marinette nodded. "And you're somehow aware of our tiny companions."

"Kwami, dear," her mother corrected gently.

Adrien made a strange sound, and immediately started coughing.

"Are you okay?" Marinette asked, her hand already finding the spot between his shoulder blades, should he need a smack to clear his airway.

Still coughing, he waved her off.

Marinette glared at her mother. "No killing my boyfriend. I thought you liked him."

"Not helping," he interjected, before coughing a few more times. "I'm fine. Just went down wrong." He continued flapping his hand for a few more seconds, like he'd forgotten he was doing it.

"Sorry about that," her mother said, her voice free of teasing for the moment. "I should have timed that better."

"Yes," Marinette agreed. "Let's get back to the topic of kwami, and how you even know that word." She would have liked to cross her arms and stare at her mother, but she was too hungry to employ her usual threatening postures. Besides, they'd told Adrien they would explain at dinner, and she trusted them to keep their word.

"I suppose that is the proper starting point," her mother said, nodding decisively. "Your great aunt Ting was a miraculous holder in her twenties. She'd retired before I was born, of course, but I heard all the tales of Hú Nǔ Shì growing up."

"Fox," Adrien said in surprise. "She had the fox?"

Her mother nodded.

He beamed down at Marinette. "You come from a family of lady critters."

"And bugs," her father added. "Family legends say that my grandfather was a superhero, as well. Though the stories aren't as well preserved; we don't even know what he called himself, but he apparently had a bee costume and some sort of stinging power."

"Aunt Ting told me all about her little fox companion," her mom jumped back in. "She'd never met any of the others, but she told me there were several and that they were called kwami." She scooped up a spoonful of soup.

"That should lay the groundwork for why we knew about kwami and how we're familiar with the subject of real life superheroes," her father took over the explanation. "So when Ladybug and Chat Noir first showed up, we had a pretty good idea how they came to be."

"Wow." Marinette stared at the mix of beans and leeks floating in a thin tomato broth. "How come you never told me about Hú Nǔ Shì or grandpa bee?"

Her father rubbed at his cheek for a moment. "Honestly, it was oversight." He shrugged. "There were so many other, more recent family stories to tell you, or other things that were more relevant to your interests that it didn't really occur to us. And the bee stories I have are so vague, I didn't think they'd entertain you."

"They probably wouldn't have," Marinette admitted. "Not when I was younger, anyway."

"We can introduce our kwami later," Adrien offered. "They were still sleeping when we came down."

"We'd like that very much," her mom said, happily. "Now, for how we knew you two were Ladybug and Chat Noir…" She glanced at her husband. "Tom noticed first."

"When did you figure it out?" Adrien asked.

Her father snorted. "That first video. The one that launched Alya's Ladyblog." He reached out and brushed his thumb down Marinette's cheek. "Before you got your confidence, Ladybug was classic klutzy Marinette. It was all right there."

"I didn't see it at first," her mother admitted. "I think maybe I didn't want to. Hawkmoth seems so much more dangerous than the villain my aunt fought." She shook her head. "And no parent really wants to see their child in danger, so… there's was probably some denial."

Her father's fake cough sounded suspiciously like it was hiding the word, "some."

"But it wasn't long before there was really too much evidence to ignore," her mother said.

"There was evidence?" Marinette demanded, wondering who else had figured it out.

"It's probably a good thing Alya didn't get to know you before you became Ladybug," her mother went on, shaking her head. "She didn't know you'd never had a tardy in your life. And cutting class was completely out of character."

"You grounded me for that."

"We had to tell the school we were working with you on it, and you didn't seem to want to tell us where you really were," her father said. "And we knew you'd go out your skylight anyway, so…"

Marinette stared at her father in shock. "Do you know how guilty I felt about that?"

Her father's smile was apologetic. "Sorry sweetheart. We were still new to parenting a superhero, and there's not really any books or support groups on that." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "On the plus side, being Ladybug seemed to make Marinette more confident, and I was really happy to see that."

"We figured out Adrien the first time he came over," her mother continued the story. "Your starving model build was pretty distinctive. And when we offered you treats, your expressions were one hundred percent Chat Noir."

"Specifically, Chat Noir watching Ladybug," her father added, turning a slight scowl on Adrien. "Something you need to tell me about your feelings for my little girl."

A hint of pink highlighted his cheeks, but it wasn't enough to fluster him. "I love her, sir." His smirk was definitely not photo-shoot material. "But you knew that."

Her father laughed. "I did. But I do like the confirmation."

Marinette reached over to rest her hand on Adrien's knee. When he looked down at her, she squeezed him gently. "The feeling's mutual, Kitty."

"Oh, you two are **so** adorable," her mother gushed. "I'm going to need a picture tonight for the scrapbook."

"Scrapbook?" Marinette met her mother's eyes, slightly terrified by the sheer glee there. "What's the… uh, theme?"

Her father snickered. "It's beautiful, really. Your mama's been working on it since the beginning."

"Oh yes," her mother agreed. "I call it Ladrienette Noir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I've been doing a bunch of webinars to improve my employment options (and success as a contractor, which is looking more and more like my future), and work really has to come before play.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien meets with his dad to break the news.

"Hey Nathalie," Adrien said as soon as she picked up his call. "I wanted to let you know I'm not going to be home tonight."

"While I appreciate knowing," his father's assistant said, her voice cool and professional, as it almost always was, "this is most irregular."

"I have extenuating circumstances, if you'd like to hear them," he offered. He was sitting on Marinette's chaise while she was brushing her teeth. It had been a good day, all said and done, but it was also highly emotional and full of intense disclosures he wasn't convinced he'd fully processed.

"I would appreciate that, yes," Nathalie agreed.

"Marinette and I got caught up in the akuma attack this afternoon, nothing dangerous," he lied quickly, knowing she was tasked with his safety. "But we couldn't get out of the sleet, and she ended up with hypothermia."

"Is she all right?" Nathalie asked with a touch of concern.

Adrien smiled. In the past, she'd given him reason to suspect she was fond of Mari, often adjusting his schedule when his classmate was involved or allowing her on site despite usual protocol. "She's fine now, but it was… it was really scary. And I kind of want to help her parents take care of her."

"That sounds reasonable," Nathalie said. "I see no real reason to call this to your father's attention, and I appreciate you letting me know."

"Thanks, Nathalie, you're the best." He knew his sincerity came across, because he truly meant it. "I also have a scheduling request."

"Yes?" she prompted.

"I need to meet with father, in person, ideally in the next two weeks." He'd long since been made aware of how fucked up it was that he needed to schedule a meeting in order to see his father, but it was still the framework he had to work within. "Is that going to be possible?"

"Hmmm." Though he couldn't hear it, he knew she was consulting the tablet she carried everywhere. "Yes. I've found something that works for both of you next week. He's between trips, and it's well after your classes end for the day. I'll add it to your schedule."

"Thanks Nathalie. Have a good night."

"You too, Adrien."

As he reached over to put his phone on the charger on the desk, his girlfriend (he loved that word) stepped into view.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

He smiled. "More than okay." He gently took her hand and tugged her toward him. "I'm cleared to stay here tonight, and I'm going to meet with father to let him know about you and our apartment plans."

"You want me to come with you for that?" she asked, watching his face.

He shook his head. "Father's pretty formal, so I'm going to break the news to him myself. Though I expect a follow-up meeting, maybe dinner, will need to happen shortly after. You up for that?"

Marinette hugged him. "Your father's scary, but I face scarier all the time." She stepped back and nudged him toward their blanket fort. "I just want to be there for you, if and when you want me there."

* * *

Adrien was on his way home from class when his phone vibrated. It was a calendar change notification for his three o'clock meeting with his father. He let out a sigh, trying not to be disappointed by the expected.

Not entirely sure where Marinette would be right now, he opened his messenger. _My important in-person meeting has been changed to a_ _video conference_ _._

He was surprised to get an almost immediate response. _You okay?_

_Not akuma pickings, promise._ He sent back. _Are you available to talk_ _?_ His phone rang in response, his girlfriend's photo popping up on the screen. "Hey Bug."

"Hey Kitty." She sounded out of breath. "You didn't answer my question. Are you all right."

"I'm honestly not surprised," he said, avoiding the question. "But it still stings, which doesn't make any sense. I mean, how often does my father actually show up for things when he promises to?" He swiped to his calendar to see how it had been scheduled. "Nathalie even included a note that I felt this needed to be a face-to-face meeting." He let out a huff.

"Oh Adrien." It was her sad on his behalf voice. She somehow managed to never come off as pitying, most frequently ranging from offended to furious that he'd been hurt. "Can I come over? I'll help you pack up that ridiculous manga collection."

"Are you slighting my books?" he asked in mock offense.

"Sorry, I left out a word," she insisted. "I meant that ridiculously **valuable** manga collection."

He let out a laugh that surprised himself. "Yeah, well, both statements are true," he conceded. "I'd love it if you'd come over, though. I'm actually super excited about this, and I can't believe we get the keys in a few days, and I want to move in right away." He ran a hand through his hair, glad he didn't have to tone down his enthusiasm for her.

"God, you are adorable," she blurted. "I'll be over in about half an hour. We can pack. I'll keep working on your books during your meeting. When we get sick of packing, we can go back to my house for dinner and a cuddle. Sound like a plan?"

He smiled, already feeling better. "You make the best plans, My Lady."

* * *

Marinette was on the second floor, pretty much right above his computer when he pulled up Skype for his meeting with his father. At the rate she was going, they'd be done packing everything tonight. For all that he had a lot of stuff in his room, he was leaving most of it behind.

He fiddled with the volume and waited for his father's face to appear on screen, which it did at exactly three.

"Adrien," his father said, in greeting.

"Father." He couldn't help it. About two years back he started adopting the tone and expressions his father presented him. His father didn't ask how Adrien's classes were going, so Adrien didn't ask how things were going in Milan. "It's unfortunate we can't do this in person."

"You know better than most, how unpredictable our business is," his father said in faint rebuke.

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "That I do. However, I have some news to share with you that really should have been done in person, and I'm just sorry business won't permit it."

His father wasn't able to keep the surprise completely off his face.

"I know you're busy, so I promise not to keep you overlong," Adrien added.

"I appreciate that," his father replied, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"So the first thing I wanted to share with you is that I have a girlfriend." He struggled to keep the happiness from showing on his face.

His father was silent for a moment. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Yes sir." He shrugged. "I thought you should hear it from me rather than the gossip rags."

"And how serious is this?" his father asked, his tone no different than when he asked Adrien about the fit of a shirt he was modeling.

"Extremely." He had to fight to keep his grin small and appropriate, from his father's perspective. "And since I'm sure you have concerns, I want to reassure you that we've been friends for five years. We've been spending a lot of time together the last eight months or so, and last week we decided to reclassify our relationship."

"Have I met this young woman before?"

Adrien nodded. "Her name is Marinette."

"Marinette?" his father asked. "Marinette Dupain Cheng?"

"That's her," Adrien agreed.

"The same Marinette who has won nearly every contest for young designers since she was fifteen?"

Adrien dropped his smile. "I think I see where you're going with your questions, and I'm going to have you stop right there."

"I understand that you're attached to her, Adrien," his father said, sounding completely reasonable on the surface, but Adrien knew better. "But I'd hate to see you hurt, and I think it's really important that you at least consider-"

Adrien tapped the mute on his computer. "Give me a sign when you've stopped talking nonsense." He watched as his father closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes. "Great. Thanks." He toggled the audio back on. "I don't want to hear you say anything that will come between us later. I know what you're worried about, and you can either listen to me, or we're done with this conversation for the foreseeable future."

His father crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm listening."

Adrien nodded. "Yes, Marinette is a designer. She's in her second year at ESMOD, and because she's ridiculously talented and motivated, she's at the top of her class. She has an online boutique on the side. She's made it completely clear that she's interested in me for me. Even though you've been one of her favorite designers for her whole life, she's not applying for a summer internship at Gabriel. She wants to know that any position she gets, she earned, and that it's not based on **who** she knows."

"I see," his father said, his forehead relaxing, as the argument sank in.

"I love wearing her designs, but she hardly ever lets me model them for the same reason." It had been a point he'd fought against since before university. He intended to double his efforts now, though, and he had a plan that just might sway her.

"Fine. You've made your point," his father said. "Please have Nathalie schedule a dinner for you to formally introduce us. While I've met her before, I will not be remiss in welcoming her as your significant other."

"Thanks, father." Was it pathetic that this cool approval meant so much to him? "Is there somewhere specific you want to hold that?"

His father thought for a moment, then nodded. "You may choose the venue, but I suggest something high class, where we can be **seen**. It would be beneficial to show my approval to counter whatever rubbish the paparazzi are sure to come up with."

Adrien nodded. "Great. I can work with that." He glanced at the clock in the lower right corner of his monitor. "I know you don't have much time, but there was one other thing I wanted to let you know." He paused for a moment, in case his father wanted to interject, then continued. "I've gotten an apartment. It's closer to campus, which will cut down on transportation and increase my study time." He held up a hand when he thought his father was about to interrupt. "It won't interfere with my modeling, so I'll keep my part of our agreement." His workload had been reduced and strategically scheduled to accommodate his university coursework. As long as he got good grades and made his appointments, he had full control over his class selection.

"While I appreciate that, I highly doubt proximity to school is the primary motivator. What aren't you telling me, Adrien?" He'd hauled out his horrible stern voice, the one that dripped of superiority and judgment.

"I think we both know it's time," Adrien said quietly. "I'm tired of feeling like I'm sleeping in a big empty museum in the middle of the night. I need to prove that I can stand on my own."

There was a long silence. "Would I be correct in assuming you have found a place with Miss Dupain Cheng?"

Adrien nodded, his fingers gripping tightly to the lucky charm on his wrist. "I'll send you the website, if you want."

"Are you sure you're not rushing things a bit?" his father asked.

Adrien shook his head. "We're not. I'm sure."

"Very well," his father said with a sigh. "You're an adult, so it's not like I can stop you, not unless I want to stoop to petty drama that will hurt the Agreste reputation and turn you against me. I assure you I am not interested in either of those options."

Adrien met his father's eyes through the monitor. While his father was known to be blunt, frankness wasn't his strong suit.

"I would very much like to get you a housewarming gift, so please let me know if there's something the two of you need." When Adrien didn't respond right away, he added, "I was thinking along the lines of furniture, possibly for your living room. Or perhaps something for your kitchen. Talk it over with Miss Dupain Cheng and let me know."

"Yes father, thank you."

"I can understand wanting to have your own place, but there's no need for you to be uncomfortable." He nodded once.

"Thanks for taking the time to talk to me."

His father froze for a moment. "Not at all, Adrien. Thank **you** for making sure I heard all this from you directly, even if the venue wasn't as planned."

Adrien closed out of Skype and jogged up the spiral staircase two steps at a time. While it had been nice to have Mari here as moral support, he worried a little about how the meeting reflected him.

"That seemed to go well," she said, glancing up from the box she was taping shut. She added it to the stack and held her arms open to him.

He stepped into her hug and pressed his face to her neck. "It did. Honestly, that was the best meeting I've had with him in… ever, possibly. I got to say what I needed to. He actually listened to me. He accepted my decisions." Her fingers slipped into his hair and the tension abruptly faded. "Why do I feel so drained?"

"Your father is an intimidating man." He felt her lower both of them to their knees. "You are an anxious one, and there's probably a causal relationship there." All ten of her fingers were caressing his scalp now. What did he do to deserve this? "You were prepared, and it was intense, and it makes sense that you'd feel fatigued."

"Nngh," was all he was able to get out.

She giggled in response. "Let's get you all relaxed, then I'm going to pack up one last box. That'll be it for your books, by the way. And we can go back to my parents' for dinner."

"I was promised a cuddle," he murmured.

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to that." She sounded happy.

"What do you want as a housewarming gift from my father?" He should probably e-mail over a suggestion or two in the next few days.

"Couch?" she replied uncertainly. "We can live without a dining table. I figured we'd get some bar stools and eat at the island until we get settled in and can find or afford a table and chairs. But we've got nothing for the living room, aside from my work table."

"We should look at some together so I can point him toward something we both like."

"You don't want to pick it?" she asked.

He shook his head, and slowly sat up, gently dislodging her fingers. "It's **our** apartment Mari. I'd like it to be **our** couch."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is probably the last follow up I have for this storyline. Thanks for reading. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it.


End file.
